Firstly, sorry for the quality of these photos, the nights are getting darker and gloomy days have been overhead for about a week now, I need to invest in some artificial lighting!

Does anybody else have that make-up riddled patch of carpet in front of their mirror, or smudges and swatches constantly on their hands while blending eyeshadows? I do, but maybe I'm just gross.

When blending colours I have a particular brush that I love to use, something about the way it applies and holds pigment is *kisses fist* amazing but what happens when I want to use the next shade and the same brush? Those Morphe 35O reds and oranges aren't going away with a swirl on the carpet or the back of my hand, which is why I decided to give Shadow Switch a go.

Being told to 'get out of your comfort zone' is something that we're all probably sick of hearing by now, from school, from tutors and parents, from every man and his dog that just wants us to 'do better'. Lately I've been conducting a little social experiment on myself and for what feels like the first time in a long time, been pushing myself out of my comfort zone to do more things that give me the nervous butterflies, aka that feeling of 'get-me-the-hell-out-of-here... now'.

Firstly this is more of a journal entry than a post, a way of marking my little milestones and celebrating change. I understand everyone feels differently!

Everybody who's ever had a single thought about contraception knows about the pill or implant. There are so many forms of contraception out there that are less publicised but just as accessible for women all over the country, one being the IUD (the coil, inter uterine device etc).

Non-hormonal contraception has been on the rise latelyafter studies confirmed that depression is directly linked to the pill and it's becoming more obvious that seizures, blood clots, osteoporosis and strokes are also related to taking forms of hormonal contraception. Methods such as noting your natural cycle and avoiding sex on certain days or the copper IUD and condoms pose less of a risk to your health.

It didn't take long after I discovered coconut oil for me to realise the extent of it's powers. I'm talking, wizard-level wonderfully magic for our skin, hair, body and overall health. Obviously in large amounts nothing is good for you, but adding a little coconut oil into your life everyday can make a world of difference.

Sometimes on my walks around the city I come across creatively brilliant things that I wish I'd thought of first and things I can't believe people have made with their own hands/heads. Bad Alice is one of these things that I wish I'd come up with first - a swap shop ran by two lovely girls, Hannah and Alice, where you can take your old clothes and trade them in for newer ones. SO GOOD, RIGHT?!

Recycled fashion is something a lot of people brush over for not looking as great as the current trends. Fashion bloggers like Lua from Le Happy have been blowing my mind with thrift store outfits and old tee's that complete vintage looks, it's hard for me to understand why they're not considered more by people on the hunt for new garms!

Samii Ryan along with Ellis Cooper, Elizabeth Isley, Mary Rosenberg and Alysha Nett to name a few, is one of my favourite bad ass gals to follow on Instagram. Beginning as a model, her experience with modern, alternative fashion and love of the industry has lead Samii to follow her dreams of creating her own jewellery and accessory line, BY SAMII RYAN.

I love everything this brand puts out, from the design of the website to the products and the way they're marketed. All of Samii's pieces are unique, handcrafted, sophisticated and elegant while still screaming badass.

Exactly a week and a day ago I attended the wonderful Bloggers Blog Awards hosted by Hayley. I'd only been to one blog event before this, a secret event hosted by Mary so I was a little nervous at first but arranged to meet my new best friend (hey I've decided), Jess, at Leeds station beforehand.

Hello everyone! It's been a long while since the last catch up, and again so much has happened and is happening so this post may end up being a little rambly. In my last 'life lately' type post, I'd just moved out of my old place to head home for summer after starting up blogging properly again.

Officially, I'm in the new place with my boyfriend and two friends now (sat here with no make-up and my hair in a towel full of hair dye) and it's beautiful. Small, but beautiful and much more homely than the last house. My room is probably the same size but all of my furniture is lighter and wooden, giving a happier vibe in the place.

I'm a little dumfounded about how it's October already. It feels like yesterday that I was at Leeds festival, waking up in a hot tent every morning! As much as I loooooove summer, I'll take a blanket, hot drink and a warm bed over sweaty mornings and a warm breeze any day.

If you ever need me on an Autumn/Winter's morning, that's where I'll most likely be! Tucked up in my bed sanctuary with all of those things. Obviously having a glorious bed makes actually getting up on cold mornings one of the most gruelling tasks of the day (but it's never as bad once you're up and about), so here's how you can make them a little easier:

@helainerose

Last week a little tweet popped up in my mentions from Velvet and Vibranium about the Versatile Blogger Award! (Speaking of awards, I attended the Bloggers Blog Awards yesterday and it was amazing, expect a post soon) Basically this is an opportunity to tell you a few things about myself and share the love in tagging some of my favourite bloggers. It's been a while since I've done a tag on my blog so here goes:

Mood

Scarlet State is a PR friendly blog and all sponsored posts, sample reviews or products I have been sent will be declared with an asterisk (*) or /and a small disclaimer at the end of the post. The opinions in these posts are mine only and I will only ever give my honest opinion.

All products featured from June/July 2016 are cruelty-free and vegan. Posts before this contain products possibly not suitable for vegans! For my full disclaimer, see here.